Training Littleton Kids to Respect the Past

When seeking out Littleton kids training in martial arts, there is perhaps one or many things that you are hoping to find and achieve. Of the many worthwhile skills, achievements and knowledge sets that kids at Gracie Colorado are taught to strive for, is a respect for the past. It is a past that was brought from ancient Japan to Brazil. From the martial combat of the renowned samurai, to the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro where it was further refined for practical self defense. It is a tradition and history of self knowledge, health and veneration for elders and founders with much to teach us. It is a respect for what was worthy in the past and demands to be respected and applied today.

Children’s Martial Arts for Today’s World

But certainly, our children’s martial arts classes at Gracie Colorado are not fixated on the past. We respect the past of Gracie jiu jitsu, and its founding principles are alive and nurtured today. It is the heart of the academy. But like anything that must be kept alive, it must at times adapt to the realities of the modern world. Gracie jiu jitsu was created and taught to be a highly effective form of self defense, first and foremost. This is kept in mind at all times as one adapts to modern needs for self defense, and to evolve the teachings of the past to tackle current problems.

Jiu Jitsu Gi Training

The jiu jitsu gi, or kimono, is a traditional part of the “uniform” worn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Similar in appearance to what is worn in most karate and judo schools, the BJJ gi is different in its specific dimensions and qualities that are conducive particularly to BJJ. In Denver one may also study in what is called “no-gi or nogi,” schools or classes, meaning simply BJJ without use of the traditional gi (usually with only shorts and a rash-guard shirt). There exist proponents for each preference, with arguable pluses and minuses for both, though in the end it is the goals and orientations of the student that should decide your orientation.